Automatic shirt folder



Jan. 5, 1954 E. N. NECKEL AUTOMATIC SHIRT FOLDER Filed Dec. 4, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet'l INVENTOR.

EqmuNa N. NECKEI.

Jan. 5, 1954 2,665,039

E. N. NECKEL AUTOMATIC SHIRT FOLDER Filed Dec. 4, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Eamduo N. NEG/(EL.

BY W a? M A TT' R/VE YS Jan. 5, 1954 E. N. NECKEL AUTOMATIC SHIRT FOLDER 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 4, 1951 INVEN TOR.

Eamwvo N. NECKEL BY @Q, 2 4

A TTORNYJ vJam 5, 1954 E. N. NECKEL 2,665,039

AUTOMATIC SHIRT FOLDER Filed Dec. 4, 1951 e Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

EbMu/va N. NECKEL BY ,4 ,fiawo eflflw ArraR/vE Y6 Jan. 5, 1954 E. N. NECKEL AUTOMATIC SHIRT FOLDER s Sheets-sheaf?) Filed Dec. 4, 1951 mN @n I1. N m w w u A M. J a

Jan. 5, 1954 E. N. NECKEL AUTOMATIC SHIRT FOLDER 6 SheetsPSheat 6 Filed Dec. 4, 1951 I ll INVENTOR. Ecru/N0 N. NECKEL BY fiw ATTORNEYJ Patented Jan. 5, 1954 httifii AUTOMATIC SHIRT FOLDER Edmund N. Neckel, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 4, 1951, Serial No. 259,764

Claims.

The invention relates to novel and improved means for automatically folding garments such as shirts and the like. The invention constitutes an improvement over that disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 186,876, filed September 26, 1950, for Shirt Folder, now Patent No. 2,629,519, dated February 24, 1953. Said copending application discloses novel means for folding a shirt whereby the folding operation begins substantially simultaneously from two opposed locations, usually near the sleeve ends or cuffs. The operation then progresses inwardly, being executed by cooperating pairs of opposed, hinged members swingable inwardly so as to carry progressively folded portions inwardly therewith, and fold such portions along fold line established by such hinged members. This characterization of the operation of the means disclosed in my aforesaid copending application is necessarily quite brief, but the operation of the novel means herein to be described is associated with the same general schem and will be described in detail below.

An object of the present invention is to provide means insuring a more smooth and uniform motion of the folding members than heretofore obtainable.

A further object of the present invention is to substantially reduce certain components of the swinging movement of the folding members, which were heretofore eifective in a generally vertical direction on the garment part being folded, and to cause said swinging movement to become effective mainly in a horizontal direction during folding contact with the garment so as to guide the garment portion being folded instead of throwing it, as heretofore.

A further object of the invention is to control and synchronize the folding movements of the opposed folding members so that a smoother and neater folded assembly is achieved.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improved collar supporting and retaining means whereby a shirt collar portion is maintained in desired positional relationship to the rest of the shirt during folding thereof.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a study of the following specification, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a folding machine embodying my invention, the operators position being at the left, and the front, rear and sides of the machine being shielded by a conventional sheet metal housing. A shirt is draped 2 with body portion on the inclined top, and with sleeves hanging downwardly over opposed right and left sides of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a schematic showing of the two pairs of swingable folding members indicating the relative lateral and vertical spacing of their pivotal axes.

Fig. 3 is a rear View, somewhat enlarged and with the housing removed, showing mainly the operating mechanism for the folding members.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the machine showing mainly the initial disposition of the folding members, with a shirt in place prior to starting of the folding operation.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a top plan view of the collar supporting and retaining means, hereinafter generally referred to as a collar block, which is indicated in broken line in Fig. 5, just above center.

Fig. 8 is a bottom view, looking upward from beneath the collar block, to show the operating mechanism for said collar block.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation, of a portion of the shirt tail folding means, and associated control devices.

Figs. 11 and 12 show sequential positions in the folding cycle of a plain cuff shirt.

Fig. 13 shows an intermediate position in the folding cycle of a French cuff shirt.

Fig. 14 shows the fluid power circuits, control elements, and fluid motor means for the operation of the various moving parts of the folding machine.

Referring first to Fig. 1 for a general characterization of the folding machine, there is shown a front housing and uard wall it] having integral wing portions Nla extending along the sides part way towards the rear. The top E2 of the machine is slightly inclined downwardly towards the operators position, at the left, and a shirt I3 is draped on the top with its right sleeve I 1 hanging downwardly along the side wall H. A rear housing i5 may conveniently be provided with an upper, forwardly extending part for any suitable purpose, such as to hold a stack of folded shirts, and/ or a pile of cardboard stiffeners. etc.

Beneath housing um there is a tail folding blade 56 (Figs. 1 and 5) carried on a pair of opposed arms ii (Figs. 1 and 10) as will hereinafter be more particularly described. This blade is adapted to execute a transverse fold of the shirt tail portion.

pair of folding arms 20 and 2| (Figs. 2, 5, ll, 12, and 13) are mounted for swinging movement along respectively opposed sides of the machine, on axes gene-rally parallel to the sides of the machine, and substantially below the plane of the lay-out position of the shirt body. A pair of folding wings 22 and. 23 are mounted for rotation on spaced axes above and within the axes of rotation of the arms. As will be apparent from Fig. 5, the shirt body [3 is arranged on the lay-out table with its sleeves l4 and Ma over the arms 28 and 2 i above mentioned, but with its body portion beneath the wings 22 and 23. The arms and wings will occasionally be referred to as the folding assembly, since the several longitudinal folds are achieved by inward swinging movement of the arms and. wings in a predetermined sequence.

To permit initial disposal of the shirt in the position shown. in Fig. 5 the arms and 2! are below the level of the lay-out position, but the wings 22 and 23 are upwardly tilted as shown in Fig. l, wing 22 being directly behind. wing 23 in said figure. Lowering the wing assembly to contact with the shirt body initiates the various folding operations, beginning with swinging movement of the tail folder, and following with folding movement of the folding assembly comprising arms and wings.

For simplicity, and ready reference as a logical foundation for the detailed explanation of the mounting and structure of the various operating elements the succession of events in the folding operation is as follows.

Th operator places the shirt, button strip down, as shown in Fig. 5, in the lay-out position, dresses the shirt collar on a normally contracted collar block, and then manually permits release of biasing means so as to expand the collar block to grip the collar. The operator then presses down the folding wings from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 5 which movement actuates mechanism effective to initiate the various folding movements in the following order: the tail folder swings forward; tail holding means retains the folded tail while the tail folder swings back; the arms swing in proper sequence to the position of Fig, 11; the wings swing in proper sequence 5 to the position of 1.2; the operator may here apply a binding strip around the shirt; the operator steps on a foot treadle 24 (Figs. 1 and 10) and the folding assembly comprising the arms and wings, with the shirt folded thereon, swings to if an angularly uptilted position; the shirt is slipped forwardly off the folding assembly; the operator removes her foot from the treadle, and. the wings and arms unfold; the arms swing down to their original idle position; this completes the cycle.

Ihe various folding elements including the tail folder. the tail holder, the arm-and-wing folding assembly, and the collar block, will now be described in detail.

The tail folder comprises a transverse blade I5 (Figs. 1 and 5) extending all the way across the width of the table, but when idle occupying the retracted position of Fig. 1. It is carried by tubular legs 1? on each side, which may be connected near the bottom by a transverse stiffener. The assembly is pivoted at 23 (Fig. 10) on the bottom frame member 2?. The tail folder is operated by a double acting air motor 28 which has a piston rod 23 pivoted to the assembly. A description of the operation of motor 23 will be given later.

The tail holder cooperates with the tail folder by retaining the folded tail when the tail folder swings back to idle position. It comprises an upper plate 32 secured to legs 32a, which legs are pivotally mounted at 322) on a lower plate 33 (Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6). Small coil springs 34 maintain the upper plate in contact with the lower plate. At the rear the lower plate 33 is secured to a rocker member 35 freely mounted on a main supporting shaft 35 which in turn is supported at its ends in main bearings 3'! fixed on the frame. Operating means for the tail holder includes a depending arm 88 (Fig. 6) having at its lower end a pin 39. The arm is biased downwardly by a tension spring 46. The pin 39 rests on the top end of a leg 4 la of a camming lever i i, said member having another leg Gib, the legs defining therebetween a slot 4E0 into which pin 3-53 may drop under certain operating conditions. The lever 4| is pivoted at M on a bracket 45, and is operatab-le by means of a pivotal connection at 4% with the end of a piston rod 517 of a fluid power motor 48.

In idle position the tail holder is elevated, as shown in. Fig. 6, the piston of motor 58 being in retracted position under the bias of a spring 49 (Fig. 14). As will appear, movement of the tail folding blade aetua-tes motor d8 so as to rock camming lever M clockwise, whereupon pin 39 drops into slot He, and camming action of the leg Mb effective on lever arm 38 swings the tail holder down on the shirt tail above the folder blade which has just effected its foldin stroke. When the blade i8 retracts, the spring pressed upper tail holding plate 32 cooperates with the lower plate 33 to hold the shirt tail.

A cardboard 42 may be removably disposed in clips 58 on a member 5! which has forwardly extending legs 5m, 51b. When the tail folding blade swings to its forward position, the tail is tucked to a 2 fold with one fold at a line established by the terminal edges of the cardboard E2 and the wings 22 and 23, and a second fold tucked beneath the tail holder 32. The cardboard need not be used, but if used it serves a stiffener after the shirt is removed from the folding assembly.

As heretofore stated, the longitudinal folds are executed by a folding assembly comprising the arms 20 and 2! and the wings 22 and 23. The wings are similarly mounted, and a description of one will suffice for both. Wing 23 has fixed thereto a short shaft 54 journaled in bearings 55 on a wing carrier 56 which is freely tiltable around the main shaft 36 heretofore described. Attached to the shaft 54 is a gear segment 57 in mesh with another segment 58. Driving of segment 58 will later be described, it being sufficient here to state that driving of segment 5'! produces swinging movement of the wing. As shown in Fig. 3, corresponding operating elements for the other wing are identified by the numbers 54a, 51a and 58a.

Wing carrier 56 has an arm Eta depending therefrom, and pivotally connected to a pivot block 52 on rod 53, rod 53 being slidable in a pivot block 59 mounted on a pin 69 on the frame. A compression spring 6| on rod 53 bears against both pivot blocks, giving the toggle an over center action to hold the wing assembly either tilted upwardly, or down to the lay-out level. Swingably carried on pin 60 is a yoke member 64 having its respective legs 64a and 641) provided with adjustable abutment screws 65 as limit stops. T 26 legs 64a and 64b function to operate the plunger 62 of a slide type air valve 66 to either of two positions, corresponding respectively to the up and down position of the wing assembly, as will appear. The wing assembly is therefore freely rockable around main shaft 36.

The arm supporting means will now be described. The arms and El are carried on a rearwardly disposed arm supporting member 67 (Figs. 3 and 6) which has a pair of mounting brackets 68 having bearings 69 thereon for rotation of member 61 around shaft 36. Control of such rotation is effected by a piston rod Til of a fluid power piston II which, when the piston is energized, tends to swing member 5'! counterclockwise (Fig. 6), this tendency being resisted by a spring 14 attached to member 6! and to the front of the frame, so as to bias the said member 5'! clockwise when motor H is open to exhaust. Arm-carrying member Gl is latched in the position shown in Fig. 6 by means of a latch lever 75 pivoted to member 61, which lever has a notch 'li in its lower surface fitting over a pin Tl or other member fixed to the frame. Obviously the spring is powerless to swing member 6! when latched as shown. Disengagement of the latch lever is effected by a plunger 18 movable upwardly upon energization of fluid power motor 19.

Arms 20 and 2E are swingably carried on member til. The arms are constructed and mounted similarly, and description of one will suffice. Arm 2! is fixed to a short shaft 89 journaled in member Bl, and shaft 80 has fixed at its end a pinion 8! which is in mesh with a gear segment 82 pivoted at 83. It will be apparent that rotation of segment 82 produces swinging movement of arm 2 l, the segment being driven by means soon to be described. The other arm 2t is likewise driven through pinion em and segment 82a.

Motive power for the arms and wings is supplied from a main drive double acting fluid motor 86 carried on member 61 and effective, through a piston rod ill, to raise and lower a carriage 83 which has thereon two pairs of driving rollers on respectively opposed faces of the carriage. The carriage 88 has two rods 96 and 90a slidably guided in bearings 9! and 9m in member iii. The outermost pair of driving rollers 89 and Zita (Fi 3) are effective, when the carriage is moved upwardly, to engage cut-out portions 98 and 538a of respective segmental gears 82 and 82a so as to cause inward swing of respective arms and 26. The operation, of course, is reversible upon down ward movement of the carriage. It will be noted that rollers 88 and 89a are at different levels on the carriage, so that 82 will engage and operate its segment 82 slightly ahead of the operative engagement of roller 89a and segment 82s. A pair of rollers 92 and 92a on the inner side of the carriage are similarly disposed, upon movement of the carriage, to engage and rotate gear segments 58 and $811 so as to swing wings 23 and22 at slightly spaced moments of time, and subsequent to the swing of arms 2| and 20, the actual sequence being arm 2 I, arm'Zt, wing 23 and wing 22, as will be evident from Figs. 5, 11 and 12.

When the latch lever i5 is disengaged, as hereinabove described, and spring is swings arm carrying member 6i so as to tilt the arm assembly upwardly, it carries with it the wing assembly because a bracket extension 63c on bracket 68 carries an adjustable abutment screw E2 which abuts a corresponding screw 13 on an extension of the wing carrier 56.

The following facts are apparent from a consideration of the above description of the arm assembly mounting and the wing assembly mounting. The arm supports are on swingable arm-carrying member 61 which is biased to arms-up position by a spring 14, but may be swung to arms-down position by motor ll. The said arm-carrying member may be latched in arms-down position.

Lifting of the arm assembly by such swinging movement to arms-up position necessarily lifts the wing assembly to a position in which the wing assembly is also held up by an over-center toggle. If the arms are down, the wing assembly can be moved up or down independently but if the arms are up, the wings must be up.

To prevent folding swing of the wings prior to folding of the arms, two plates as and 95 secured to carriage 88 have a sliding contact with a respective pair of pins 96 and Eli in wing gear segments 58 and 53a so as to prevent rotation of said segments until the plates have cleared above the pins, at which time the arm folds have been completed. Also when the wing roller 92 has moved out of its cam cut-out 58a in segment 58, completing the folding of wing 23, it rides alongside a flat extension 532) to insure that this wing will be held flatly down while wing 22 is being folded over it.

From what has already been described the actual shirt folding sequence is obvious. The tail folder imparts a transverse 2 fold to the shirt tail. Arm 2| then swings upwardly and inwardly carrying with it sleeve !4 so that the sleeve is folded back at the leading edge of wing 23. Arm 26 following immediately thereafter carries sleeve I la up and inwardly to a folded line along the leading edge of wing 22. The sequence is so close-coupled as to achieve the effect indicated in Fig. 2 wherein the rearwardly hanging cuff 3b of sleeve US, which in previous folding systems might fall in a crumpled or irregular fashion, is struck by arm 20 which disposes the cuff flatly back upon its sleeve, so as to avoid crumpling.

Folding of the sleeves achieves the result pictured in Fig. 11. Wing 23 next folds the right side portion of the shirt inwardly along a fold line established by the right or leading edge of arm 23, and finally wing 22 folds the left side portion of the shirt inwardly along a fold line established by the left or leading edge of arm 2%, so as to achieve the result shown in Fig. 12. From a consideration of Figs. 2 and 3 it will be apparent that the disposal of the axes 3E} and Btu materially below the level of the folding zone, the travel of the arms 20 and 2| in the folding zone is in a relatively fiat arc, so that I have eliminated the formerly prevalent tendency of the folding member to throw the sleeve upwardly causing it to partially crumple before it is disposed in the folded position.

The structure and operation of the collar block will now be described, with special reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9.

In ordinary practice the collar block is biased to expanded position, and when the operator is ready to dress a collar thereon she operates a treadle, or other operatable means, which con-- tracts the block so the collar will fit thereon, and thereafter she releases the treadle to permit the block to expand and grip the collar. In the present machine the block is maintained contracted by a fluid power meter Hit, but is expandable responsive to the bias of a spring mi when fluid power to the motor is cut off. The

collar form comprises two front bands Hi2 and E83 having a hinged connection to a movable carrier I04 which has a part extending through a slot Hi5 in the supporting plate I06. Two additional carriers I01 and I08 are movable transversely in respective slots I09 and H and have secured thereto two block bands III and H2. The carriers I01 and I08 are suitably grooved to receive the free ends of bands I02 and I03 in sliding relationship, while bands III and H2 slide respectively in front and back of a thin fixed wall I I3, while an upturned portion of a fixed bracket II4 lies in front of band III. Wall |I3 has a turned-over lip 311 along its top edge which effectively retains the collar on the block.

Referring to Fig. 8, the piston rod H6 is connected to a slide bar II1 which moves carrier I04 directly secured thereto, and has a loose linkage connection with bell cranks H8 and II 9 which respectively operate carriers I08 and I01.

Certain additional operating elements will be described in connection with the following description of the fluid power circuits, the preferred fluid in the present embodiment being compressed air.

Air entering at A (Fig. 14) proceeds by way of pipe I20, valve I2I and pipe I22 to motor I00 which maintains the collar block in contracted condition. The air also flows through pipe I23 to the inlet of valve 66, and through this valve by pipe I24 to a normally open valve I25 and thence through pipe I26 to the top of main folding motor 86, and also through pipe I21 to a servomotor I28 (in Fig. servomotor I28 is shown with its air out off) which has tripped a device to allow normally closed combination valve I45 to close. Pipe I38 is supplying air to the inlet of a slide valve I3I and through this by pipe I32 to air motor 1| which holds the arm-carrying frame 61, in the arms-down position.

The operator now lays out a shirt, as indicated in Fig. 1, and presses manual button I35, best seen in Fig. 6, moving bell crank leverage I36 which is pivoted on a bracket I31 and has a forked end engaging a pin in the stem of valve I2 I. This moves the stem to the left, cutting off air to motor I00, so as to allow spring IOI to expand the collar block.

The operator next swings wings 22 and 23 down on the shirt, the over-center device 56a, 53 holding them in the down position. The tail holder 32, 33 does not lower all the way, but is held elevated by rocker lever pin 39 resting on leg 4 la. Lowering of the folding wings has caused yoke '60 to shift the stem of valve 66 to the left initiating the folding operation.

Air is now cut off to the top of folding motor 86, trip servomotor I28, and motor 1|, but latch (Fig. 6) continues to hold frame 61 when motor H is cut off. Air goes by pipes I38 and I39 to inlet of slide valve I00, and thence by pipe MI to the bottom of motor 20. Air also proceeds by pipe I42 to combination valve I43 (usually kept open) and by pipe I00 to the inlet of a normally closed combination valve I45 where it is temporarily stopped. Motor 28 has operated, however, swinging the tail folder forward, and as the latter approaches its limit of forward travel an abutment I46 contacts a pivoted operating member M1 (Fig. 10) which shifts slide valves I3I and I40 to the right. Air has already been cut off to valve I3I. Valve I40 now cuts off air to the bottom of tail folder motor 28 and introduces it to the top thereof by pipes I48 and I 49. At the same time air goes through pipe I50 to motor 48 which acts to press down the tail holder as previously described (Fig. 6).

When the tail folder moved forward another abutment screw I56 (Fig. 10) moved out from under an abutment member I51 pivoted at I58 on another piece I59 which in turn is pivoted at I60 on a bracket I6I on the frame. A spring I62 pulled block I51 down, leg I63 resting on member I59. A tab I64 on member I51 would tend to push back the piston of motor I28 mounted on bracket I6I if it had not already slipped back when the air was cut off to motor I283. The member I59 has an abutment I65 for actuating valve I 45, also secured to bracket I6I, and this abutment I65 now rests lightly against the valve stem.

Thus, when the tail folder returns, its abutment screw I56 contacts the end of block I51 and rocks member I59 on its pivot and abutment I65 opens valve I45. Air now goes through this valve, and pipe I66 to the bottom part of motor 86, the piston of which moves up, the air above the piston being exhausted through to pipe I26, by passing through check valve C to pipe I24 and out through valve 08. Upward movement of the piston in motor 86 moves the carriage 88 (Fig. 3) upwardly, thereby operating the folding arms and wings in sequence as heretofore described. Air also goes by pipes I60 and I61 to the inlet of normally closed valve H50 where it is temporarily held.

The folding being accomplished, the operator depresses pedal 24 thereby opening valve I68 and closing valve I25 (Fig. 14). The air supply is already cut off to valve 825 at valve 66. Valve I68 admits air to motor 19 by way of pipe I10, releasing latch lever 15, and the carriage frame 61, carrying the folding arms, wings, and folded shirt, is swung up by spring 14. Latch bar 135 pushes up a rod I1 I, thereby raising manual lever system I35, I31, so as to shift valve I2I to again admit air to servomotor I00 and contract the collar block.

As the folding assembly swings up, yoke 64 shifts the stem of valve 66 back to the right. This cuts off air through valve I40 to motor 08, thus releasing the clamping pressure on tail holder 32. Pin 39 moves up out of slot ile as the tail holder 32, 33 is carried up by plate 5| on the wing support. Air is also out off at valve 66 to the top part of the tail folder motor 28, to the bottom of folding motor 86, and to latch motor 18, while air is now admitted to normally open valve I25, which is still being held closed by depression of treadle 24.

The operator slips off the folded shirt and releases treadle 24. Air then goes from valve 66 to valve I25 and motor I28, and to the top of folding motor 86.

Motor I28 trips abutment block I51, allowing valve I45 to be closed by its spring, block I51 riding upon abutment I50. Air has already been cut off to this valve I45. Air also goes to valve I3! but is held there. Motor 86 unfolds the wings and arms in their elevated position. When the roller carriage 88 nears the bottom of travel, an abutment screw I13 (Fig. 6) contacts a pivoted valve actuator I11 which shifts valves HI and I40 back to their starting position. Air now goes through valve l3I to motor II which swings the arm carrier 61 to the arms-down position, thus completing the cycle.

When a shirt with French cuffs is to be folded, the preferred way is to have the tail portion folded first, after which the operator manually arranges the cuffs, as shown in Fig. 13, before proceeding with the longitudinal folds. Two studs I in the table top (Fig. 5) are adapted to temporarily hold the cuffs, and these studs extend up, with clearance, through holes in the wings, so that the wings will strip the cuffs from the studs when folding resumes. In operation, slide valve M3 is first shifted by manual lever l8l. Then the wings are moved down on the shirt in the usual way, which causes the tail folder to operate, but air is now out off at valve 843 so that folding motor 86 cannot be energized. The operator folds and arranges the cuffs, and then valve 53 is shifted by the operator, whereupon the regular folding sequence resumes.

What I claim is:

1. Folding means of the character described comprising a frame, a folding table carried by said frame, a wing support and an arm support carried by said frame, a pair of folding wings having respective axes of swing on said wing support, said axes of swing of said wings being approximately at the level of said table, a pair of folding arms having respective axes of swing on said arm support, the axes of swing of said arms being substantially below the level of said table, the wing axes being spaced to permit the wings to swingably converge inwardly to superposed folded registry and to diverge outwardly to unfolded position, the arm axes being spaced to permit the arms to be swung inwardly to folded position between the wing axes, and outwardly to an unfolded position beyond said wings, whereby, when said wings and arms are in unfolded position with the body portion of a shirt beneath said wings and with said arms beneath the shirt sleeves, sequential folding movement first of said arms and then of said wings folds the shirt longitudinally.

2. Folding means of the character described comprising a frame, a folding table carried by said frame, a wing support and an arm support carried by said frame, a pair of folding wings having respective axes of swing on said wing support, said axes of swing of said wings being approximately at the level of said table, a pair of folding arms having respective axes of swing on said arm support, the axes of swing of said arms being substantially below the level of said table, the wing axes being spaced to permit the wings to swingably converge inwardly to superimposed folded registry and to diverge outwardly to unfolded position, the arm axes being spaced to permit the arms to be swung inwardly to folded position between the wing axes, and outwardly to an unfolded position beyond said wings, whereby, when said wings and arms are in unfolded position with the body portion of a shirt beneath said wings and with said arms beneath the shirt sleeves, sequential folding movement first of said arms and then of said wings folds the shirt longitudinally, the arc of swing of each said arm having an arcuate portion thereof above the table level, said arcuate portion defining arm movement mainly in a horizontal direction towards folded position.

3. Folding means of the character described comprising a folding table, an arm support tiltable on an axis fixed with respect to said table, a wing support also tiltable on an axis fixed with respect to said table, a right and a left folding arm having respective axes of swing carried by said arm support, a right and a left folding wing havin respective axes of swing carried by said wing support, both the wing axes of swing and the arm axes of swing being disposed in a direction substantially at right angles to the aforesaid axes of tilt, means for tilting said wing support independently of said arm support, the axes of swing or" said wings being spaced to permit said wings to swingably converge inwardly to superposed folded registry, and to diverge outwardly to unfolded position, the axes of swin of said arms being spaced to permit said arms to be swung inwardly to folded position within the axes of swing of said wings, said axes of swing of said wings being approximately at the level of said table, said axes of swing of said arms being substantially below the level of said table.

4. Folding means of the character described comprising a folding table, an arm support tiltable on an axis fixed with respect to said table, a wing support also tiltable on an axis fixed with respect to said table, a right and a left folding arm having respective axes of swing carried by said arm support, a right and a left folding wing having respective axes of swing carried by said wing support, both the wing axes of swing and the arm axes of swing being disposed in a direction substantially at right angles to the aforesaid axes of tilt, means for tilting said wing support independently of said arm support, the axes of swing of wings being spaced to permit said wings to swingably converge inwardly to superposed folded registry, and to diverge outwardly to unfolded position, the axes of swing of said arms being spaced to permit said arms to be swung inwardly to folded position within the axes of swing of said win s, said axes of swing of said wings being approximately at the level of said table, said axes of swing of said arms being substantially below the level of said table, the arc of swing of each said arm having the arcuate portion thereof above the table level, said arouate portion above table level defining arm movement mainly in a horizontal direction towards folded position.

5. Folding means of the character described comprising a folding table, an arm support tiltable on an axis fixed with respect to said table, a wing support also tiltable on an axis fixed with respect to said table, a right and a left folding arm having respective axes of swing carried by said arm support, a right and a left folding wing having respective axes of swing carried by wing support, both the wing axes of swing and the arm axesof swing being disposed in a direction substantially at right angles to the aforesaid axes of tilt, means for tilting said wing support independently of said arm support, the axes of swing of said wings being spaced to permit said wings to swingably converge inwardly to superposed folded registry, and to diverge outwardly to unfolded position, the axes of swing of said arms being spaced to permit said arms to be SWllllg inwardly to folded position within the axes of swing of said wings, said arr-i supp rt and said wing support having a common axis of tilt, said axes of swing of said wings being approximately at the level of said table, said of swing of said arm being substantially below the level of said table.

6. Folding means of the character described comprising a folding table, an arm support tiltable on an axis fixed with respect to said table, a wing support also tiltable on an axis fixed with respect to said table, a right and a left folding arm having respective axes of swing carried by said arm support, a right and a left folding wing having respective axes of swing carried by said wing support, both the wing axes of swing and the arm axes of swing being disposed in a direction substantially at right angles to the aforesaid axes of tilt, means for tilting said wing support independently of said arm support, the axes of swing of said wings being spaced to permit said wings to swingably converge inwardly to super posed folded registry, and to diverge outwardly to unfolded position, the axes of swing of said arms being spaced to permit said arms to be swung inwardly to folded position within the axes of swing of said wings, said arm support and said wing support having a common axis of tilt, said axes of swing of said Wings being approximately at the level of said table, said axes of swing of said arms being substantially below the level of said table, the arc of swing of each said arm having the arcuate portion thereof above table level defining arm movement mainly in a horizontal direction toward folded position.

7. Folding means of the character described comprising a frame, a folding table carried on said frame, a pair of spaced bearings fixed with respect to said table, a shaft rotatably carried in said bearings, a wing support on said shaft for free rotation thereon, an arm support journaled for free rotation on said shaft, a pair of folding wings having respective axes of swing on said wing support, a pair of folding arms having respective axes of swing on said arm support, the wing axes being spaced to permit the wings to swingably converge inwardly to superposed folded registry, and to diverge outwardly to unfolded position, the arm axes being spaced to permit the arms to be swung inwardly to folded position between the wing axes, and outwardly to an unfolded position beyond said wings, the wing axes being approximately at the level of said table, the arm axes being substantially below the level of said table, each said arm and wing having a respective shaft fixed thereto for rotation in said respective axis of swing, and each such shaft having a pinion thereon, a mounting plate carried on said arm support, and power driven means carried on said mounting plate for generally up-anddown moved ent, said power driven means being adapted to operatively engage and rotate each said pinion in chronological sequence whereby to cause folding motion of said arms and wings in like sequence,

8. Folding means of the character described comprising a frame, a folding table carried on said frame, a pair of spaced bearings fixed with respect to said table, a shaft rotatably carried in said bearings, a wing support on said shaft for free rotation thereon, an arm support journaled for free rotation on said shaft, a pair of folding wings having respective axes of swing on said wing support, a pair of folding arms having respective axes of swing on said arm support, the wing axes being spaced to permit the wings to swingably converge inwardly to superposed folded registry, and to diverge outwardly to unfolded position the arm axes being spaced to permit the arms to be swung inwardly to folded position between the wing axes, and outwardly to an unfolded position beyond said wings, the wing axes being approximately at the level of said table, the arm axes being substantially below the level of said table, each said arm and wing having a respective shaft fixed thereto for rotation in said respective axis of swing, and each such shaft having a pinion thereon, a mounting plate carried on said arm support, and power driven means carried on said mounting plate for generally up-and-down movement, said power driven means being adapted to operatively engage and rotate each said pinion in chronological sequence whereby to cause folding motion of said arms and wings in like sequence, the arc of swing of each said arm having the arcuate portion thereof above table level defining arm movement mainly in a horizontal direction toward folded position.

9. Folding means of the character described in claim 8 wherein each said pinion has a gear engageable therewith, each said gear having an off-center portion thereof adapted to be frictionally engaged by said power driven means during upward and downward movement thereof.

10. Folding means of the character described in claim 8 wherein each said pinion has a gear engageable therewith, each said gear having a cam-track portion thereon, and wherein a movable carriage is mounted for reciprocable movement on said mounting plate, said carriage having thereon four cam rollers each engageable with a respective cam track during movement of said carriage, said cam rollers being so disposed that engagement between each of the rollers and their cam tracks occurs in chronologically spaced sequence, whereby to cause folding motion of said arms and wings in like sequence.

EDMUND N. NECKEL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,192,786 Campbell Mar. 5, 1940 2,362,976 Cooper Nov. 21, 1944 2,504,934 Luke Apr. 18, 1950 2,556,079 Gayring June 5, 1951 

